Editorial: Those Who Blame Sony for the PSN Meltdown Need to Grow Up

When I normally start off an article, I like to recap the past events that have taken place in order to give the readers a sense of past and direction for the article. However, covering the PSN fiasco really needs no introduction. What started off as users wondering why PSN was down was soon covered on the PlayStation Blog and a week later, had Katie Couric pondering how Sony would respond to all of this though I’m doubtful if Couric and most traditional journalists have a single clue as to what PSN really is.

Though I’m not surprised by it, I feel like it’s worth mentioning that I am disgusted. Every gaming website out there and non-gaming sites as well are simply doing what our pop culture, TMZ/Kotaku reporting outlets tend to do: come up with some catchy headline to bash the intended target in order to maximize their readership. Facts simply don’t mean much; instead, who can write the juciest, most angry piece they can to, in this case, burn Sony and PlayStation to the ground. To put things into perspective, it was reported again that SOE (Sony Online Entertainment) was just breached as well, with over 24 million accounts being hacked. How many of you can honestly say that you were also aware of the fact that the data was from 2007 and that  none of the exposed card data was from U.S. subscribers? On top of that, only  900 of the 12,700 exposed cards were even active. Is this still a horrible situation for those potential 900 victims? Of course, but it’s sure a lot less scary than a headline which reads, “Sony Hacked Again. Another 24 Million Accounts Exposed!”. On top of that, with all the data breaches going on, people are still forgetting the fact that the credit card data was indeed encrypted and hacking into servers is one thing, while getting those informations is another thing. However, nobody wants to report that because it’s boring. Now some might point out and say that we are a Sony centric website and that we don’t want to bash Sony. Fair enough, let’s go along with the story that Sony is a evil giant corporation that only cares about itself, the fans, and buyers of its products.

Hit to jump for my full opinion.

Sony and PlayStation Coachella 2011 Wrap Up (Videos and Pictures)

During Coachella 2011, attendees were treated to two different presences from Sony, one of which was a PlayStation Loft which housed the brand new Mortal Kombat, SOCOM 4 and Motorstorm Apocalypse, all in 3D. If that wasn’t your thing, you could also play Sport Champions, Killzone 3 and MLB: The Show 2011 with the PlayStation Move. And if that wasn’t enough (surely you are just being picky now), you could listen to  music via Qriocity, stream movies from Netflix and chill with some adorable Sackboys and Sackgirls by playing LittleBigPlanet 2.

Now lets say PlayStation just isn’t your thing, but new technology is. That’s where the Sony Loft comes into play. Smaller than the PlayStation destination, the Sony Loft housed Bravia televisions with Sony’s 3D Handycams, VAIO laptops and touchscreen desktops. But free WiFi and 3D wasn’t the only thing Sony had to offer. Coachella attendees could borrow a Sony Bloggie Touch for the day and return to the loft to upload their videos and pictures to Facebook and other social networking sites.

So why was Sony here with some of the latest technologies? It wasn’t to simply offer the only two air conditioned tents, though that didn’t hurt one bit. The crowd who attends Coachella is the demograph that Sony seeks.  They’re young, hip, iPhone-equipped and social networking aware. For the generation who attended, technology is not just a tool but a way of life that is interwoven into their everyday routine. But they don’t simply equal another sold product. Instead, when we use our products, we are proud of them and show them to others when we attend a party, head to Disneyland or are simply asked what we took our pictures on. We are an advertising machine and will be loyal to a brand. So when we use our tech, it’s not just in our own dark compound but instead at a social event where we share our experience and hopefully, the brand of product that we use. This social experience, if captured properly, can turn into a great advertising method for Sony, something that no commercial can replicate: a referral or recommendation from a friend.

In the end, for the techies, those looking to escape the sun, and anybody lucky enough to check out a Bloggie Touch to share their experience with online, courtesy of Sony, the experience provided by the electronic giant was a pleasant one. With a helpful staff on hand and both lofts and plenty of products on display to play with, Sony provided a rich experience to the attending crowd while displayed their products in a none intrusive and modern way.

After the jump, you will find videos and pictures from our time spent at Coachella. All videos and pictures were taken on the Sony Bloggie Touch.

Editorial: Sonys PSN Outage Updates Vary

It seems for PlayStation gamers there’s no end to the now full week PlayStation Network outage. The PlayStation Network has over 70 million users that have taken to social media outlets to voice their frustration, which is not only due to the outage but the lack of updates from Sony regarding status of the PlayStation Network.

What has fed the flame is the lack of updates from Sony to its users – Sony has various social media outlets to communicate to their users whatever their need might be to; however, they’ve chosen to stick to their official PlayStation blogs (the Europe and US blog). Which would be acceptable had they posted updated more frequently than every 24-48 hours. Though that can’t be said for both blogs – after a little digging I’ve uncovered the difference in the European and US blog.

Editorial: What PSN Outage?

If you are a PlayStation 3 user, you might noted that we have now entered the 3rd day of the PSN outage. For those not aware PSN (PlayStation Network) is Sony’s free service which allows users access to the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Home and to play online games. The official reasoning from Sony is:

An external intrusion on our system has affected our PlayStation Network and Qriocity services. In order to conduct a thorough investigation and to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward, we turned off PlayStation Network & Qriocity services on the evening of Wednesday, April 20th. Providing quality entertainment services to our customers and partners is our utmost priority. We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience. We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share.

Now many of you fellow internets people have slowly begun freaking out, pointing out that you cant play games now. Although I get what you’re saying, I actually don’t. You see, the last two weeks, I’ve been working on beating the single player campaign of RUSE and once I’m done with that, I still have Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2 to name a few of the games I’ve yet to beat. Outside of those, plenty of games are not only worth repeating like Uncharted 2, but there is still many trophies to be collected as well (which yes, they will sync once PSN is backup). So I don’t know about you but all my single player games have been playing just fine, I was able to last night watch TRON: Legacy on Blu-ray via my PS3 just fine and yea, those music files on my PS3 still play as well. I know, I know, you can’t play your Call of Duty online but come on people, there is still plenty to experience and do on your PS3. It’s not like I’m asking you to go outside. So how about you guys and gals? What are you doing with the lack of PSN?

[Via PlayStation Blog]

Editorial: Please Back Up Your PlayStation 3. It’s Really Easy

Anybody who has had their computer crash, wether it be caused by a virus or a bad hard drive can attest to the heart break that usually follows when you realize that you haven’t had a backup of your files and now your entire  music library, photos, videos and documents is gone. Sure some services allow you to re-download an application or song but in general, most of your content is forever loved. The PlayStation 3 is really no different, especially with it’s easily upgradable hard drive which allows anybody to install upwards of a 500GB hard drive in minutes. And unlike other consoles on the market, many PlayStation3  not only have downloaded games from PSN (and remember, you can always log back into your account an re-download any old purchases), but also store photos, videos, music and interactive elements like Dynamic Backgrounds and Sony’s monthly Qore. As easy as it is to download content into your PS3, it’s just as easy to lose them. A failed hard drive, a spike in the power or heck, your PS3 just deciding to freak out on itself. Once any of these events happen and lets assume that your hard drive is still working, you cannot simply take out your hard drive, place it in another PS3 and continue from where you left off. But there is a cure for this and that is to simply backup your content. Sony  has made the idea of backing up extremely simply on the PlayStation 3 as our following video will show. Remember, there is no need to do one weekly, because depending on your hard drive size, they can take a while but a two month backup sure beats nothing.

Geeking Out Today, TRON Style

As I write this post, I’m currently jamming to the TRON: Legacy soundtrack at a smooth 320kbps via my Sony 2.1 computer sound system. Sometimes, it feels good to just throw what’s in ones mind on the page and see what comes of it and that’s exactly what I’m doing today. Unlike most days where I either spend time working on this site or my consulting company, I today took an early trip to a Best Buy store in West Hollywood to get myself a copy of TRON: Legacy on Blu-ray. Now normally, I don’t shop at Best Buy. Instead, I’ve been a member of Amazon Prime for over two years now and order most of everything from them. What changed today was Disney’s TRON promotion. Those of us who arrived at Best Buy at 10:00am and bought a copy of TRON: Legacy, received a wrist band to come back to Best Buy later tonight at 7:30pm to meet Joe Kosinski, director of  TRON: Legacy and Steven Lisberger, director of TRON.

Our Pitch To Sony-Owned Crackle.com

A while ago, our site had an opportunity to pitch a new idea to Crackle.com which is a video site owned by Sony. Think of Crackle as a mix of Hulu and College Humor with a dash of Funny or Die. Of course the one advantage the site has is that Sony owns it. This means that there are free streams of Sony movies offered on the website. I can’t say our pitch ever went far with Sony but we figured you would like to read about it.

Project Crackle

There used to be a time where content was king. The companies knew that selling content was how they would make money and the consumer went with the flow. There was a theatrical release, followed a year later by a VHS/DVD release and eventually made its way to Pay Per View and then years later to a network for a “Network Premier”. This indeed was a simple setup and made the studios great cash and consumers were happy. Fast forward to today, the internet age. Consumers want things now and on different platforms. They don’t like to wait for the studio cycle and if the studio does not cater to them, they will look other places, legal or illegal. We are not here to argue the idea of torrenting because the truth is, it’s happening and the cat’s out of the bag. Instead, we need to focus on where do we go from here, not how do we go back 10 years.

Media again can be king, but in a different manner. One needs to leverage content like movies and shows in order to sell and make profit else place and Sony is in the perfect position for this. The genius of Apple and its iTunes is that Apple does not make money or if it does, it’s very little from it’s music sales but it’s now the biggest music store and because of the ease that it was offering to its customers, it was able to make the iPod king and bring in a high profit ratio on that product. Their goal is the same with video and they are leveraging the media for profits on the iPad, AppleTV and other devices.

Sony is in a very unique position because not only is it a consumer electronics company, but also in the professional field, it is a media company with Sony and Columbia Pictures, as well as Sony Television and Sony/BMG. With a service like Crackle, Sony can offer its users something that the likes of Apple or Microsoft cannot. With its media collection, Sony can upload its movies and shows like Spider-man and Seinfeld and give its 50+ million PSP and 35+ million PS3 users the capability to enjoy this content free though Crackle. That means, if somebody had to decide between a Xbox and a PS3, the Playstation becomes a higher value for them because of the media content behind it. This also means that Sony has gained direct profit and a new customer, even though the sale might not directly have come from the Media itself. With this media leverage, Sony is using what they have in house, to add greater value to other products that they already have. In addition to that, the more people are aware and happy with your products they further chance you have to win them as a customer because if I enjoy streaming The Karate Kid on my PSP, I might now want to go purchase the Blu-ray version for further viewing. This synergy of Media and Hardware is a unique position that only Sony has, if they choose to empower themselves with a service like Crackle.

From there on, as Google has clearly shown it, the amount of profits that exist within advertising are nearly endless. That means that Sony does not have to limit it’s media content on Crack with just it’s Sony PSP and PS3. Sony can also offer it’s video on other devices like the iPad and web based, but again make it’s returns via advertising. It is a mistake to attempt to charge for such a service because if I as a user need to pay for it, what is to stop me from going to iTunes or the Netflix or worse off for the studio, back to torrenting. Indeed the goal needs to be to give the consumer freedom and power so they come to your content via official channels, and make your profits via hardware and advertising.

Ultimately, this is only one of the avenues that Crackle offers. One would simply be living under a rock if they did not think that Social Media has taken over. People are more connected then ever via Facebook and games that can be played via the web like bejeweled or Farmville. But if you just look at the situation, you will note that Facebook and it’s many games are free. Why is the developer making a game and maintaining it for free? We again go to hardware vs media. The more user a site can have, the more they are exposed to your services. That means that they will see more of your adds, they will click more of your limit edition offers and they will be in your playground as opposed to others. But surely that cannot be the only way to make a profit off of a service like crackle and it’s not. When users spend that much time, you begin to know and learn about their wants and needs. What better market research then to be there, with the users and figure out the upcoming trend and direction. Another avenue that the creators of Farmville and other biggest app store game developers like ngmoco have taken is micro transactions. Offer your game for free but if they want that additional resource, level or weapon, they then can purchase it for a fee or spend 50 additional hours and be exposed to your ads for that period of time. Regardless of the outcome, they are your users now and are spending time with your content which is free. And the more open and social your website is, the more likely that it will draw people towards it’s content because we live in a age where people want to interact and connect with each other.

So in the end, content is indeed still king because what is an iPad with no apps and what is a Playstation with no games. It’s just that we need to look at our media consumption and change the way we leverage and use it. Sometimes, that means offering it for free, in order to make money off of it.

I would love to hear your comments on this pitch. Hit us up on here, Facebook or Twitter.

Sony Has 7 Months to Make Qriocity a Success Before Apple Takes Control

In December 2010, Sony began rolling out Qricoity Music Unlimited, a music streaming service that would enable Sony devices like the PlayStation 3, Bravia televisions, and Blu-ray players to have access to a library of over 6 million songs. The service first launched in the UK and Ireland and expanded quickly to France, Germany, Italy, and Spain in January with the US receiving it in February. The service comes at two price points, with $3.99 a month getting you the basic offerings and $9.99 a month landing you at the premium end of the service. What you think of the price point is an altogether different conversation, but the fact that Sony has been able to offer this service in so many different countries so quickly is something that should not be overlooked.

People often complain that they might not have Netflix in Europe or lack of Qriocity in Canada but the truth of the matter is, most of the time, the blame is placed on the wrong provider. Netflix would love to be in every country and Apple would love to give every iTunes user the same music/movie/TV show access, no matter your residence, but the fact of the matter is that they cannot. This is in part due to complicated copyright laws and country laws. While Universal Records might have have the rights to Lady Gaga in the US, the same might not be true in Europe and while Sony Pictures made Zombie Land, don’t be surprised if in the country you live, somebody else like Warner Brothers or Paramount actually distributed it. Add on top of that different legal requirements of the given country and you can quickly see why it’s not as simple as flipping a switch at Sony HQ and offering a service like Qriocity to other countries.

This brings us back to Qriocity and why it has 7 months to live. First, I have to say that I’m currently using Qriocity and although it’s not a service for me—and it’s not because I use other streaming services—I get it and like it. Many people don’t feel the need to own their music. Instead, they want a radio that is catered to them, and that’s what Qriocity basically is. It is a radio station that gives you access to millions of songs while allowing you to be the DJ. I realize that the future is in the cloud, so services like Qriocity and Pandora will eventually be the way, and Sony knows this too. But there is another slumbering giant that knows this as well. Apple singlehandedly changed the music industry with the iPod and iTunes, and while I won’t be getting into a history lesson about it, it’s an understatement to say that Apple has leverage and experience when it comes to negotiating deals and offering them in a consumer-friendly way.

In late 2009, Apple quietly purchased a small music streaming service called Lala and soon after began building the world’s largest data center. Apple not only knows that the future is in the cloud, but is also building a robust infrastructure to support their future plans. It’s no secret that when Apple releases a product, it’s a big deal, and it’s also no secret that every September, the iPod and iTunes family gets refreshed. With the data center now nearly complete and with two silent years come this September, you can bet that Apple will be announcing an iTunes music streaming service on top of their current standalone iTunes offering.

The minute this happens, Apple will have dwarfed any offerings from the likes of Sony because of sheer scale. Now every Mac, PC and iOS device like the iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, and AppleTV will have access to their streaming service. Mix this with Apple’s relentless advertising campaign and you can see how a service like this will be if not an instant hit, far ahead of Sony’s Qriocity Music Unlimited. But despite these last two paragraphs, this is not a doom and gloom article for Qriocity. Instead, it’s recognizing what Sony is capable of doing if they use their might.

Sony Ericsson Admits They’ve Made Mistakes, Says 2011 Will Be Better

It’s always humbling to see a company be willing to look back, reflect, and admit that they have made mistakes. It’s even better when the company has learned from the mistakes and is both willing and planning on doing better. With the Sony Ericsson Arc on the horizon, it seems that Sony Ericsson will indeed have a different attitude and offering during 2011.

“The first generation of handsets in our portfolio was about getting the capability out there”, Steve Walker (Acting) global head of marketing for Sony Ericsson.

During 2010, Sony released the Xperia X10, X10 Mini, X10 Mini Pro which have now surpassed 9 million shipped though they all shipped with outdated Android 1.6 and only recently saw an upgrade path to 2.1. This and a lack of marketing and strategy made it hard for Sony to stand out from the crowded Android market with the likes of HTC, Motorola and LG.

“It’s important to remember that 2010 was the first year for mass market Android handsets. Yes there had been one or two things out from HTC previously, but when we started to design our 2010 handsets in 2008, nobody really knew the dynamics of the Android smartphone market or even what the smartphone market was going to be”, explains Walker in respect of a range that hasn’t been too well received over the last 12 months.

“None of us could predict 2 years previously, to what extent users would switch into smartphones. None of us could really predict what would be more important and less important for consumers”.

Editorial: Sony Wants to Become a Top Android Handset Maker. Can They Do It?

Sony Ericsson finally got into the Android handset race mid 2010 and its been a bumpy ride for the two company partnership ever sense. Though they offer a few models, starting with the current flagship Xperia X10, followed by the Xperia X10 mini and Xperia X10 Mini Pro, Sony has been unable to gain much traction within the cellphone world (though to be fair to them, the company currently claims that they have 17% of the Android market in Europe). Some might point towards the fact that its been hard to find their devices out of few Sony Style stores and now Best Buy promotion. Other might think that the problem has been with the lackluster Android support that we have chronicled on this site with the Xperia X10 finally getting Android 2.1 in late December, months after devices like the Droid X, X2 and HTC Evo had them. Still, Sony Ericsson has been bullish on its prospects and the company has gone on record, stating that it wants to be the top Android handset provider. Can they do it? Currently, I say no.

Editorial: Why Every Playstation 3 Owner Needs Playstation Plus

Ok, let me scale back: Maybe not every Playstation 3 owner needs this subscription offering from Sony but if you play your system on a regular basis or like a variety of games for your PS3 and PSP, Playstation Plus is an offering you cannot pass on. So first, let’s break down what Playstation Plus is.

Playstation Plus is a monthly or yearly subscription service from Sony for the Playstation 3. Members of the service recieve the following:

• Full Game Trials
• Automatic Downloads
• PS Store Discounts
• Exclusive Offers
• Free Games and Add-ons
• Early Demos
• Priority Beta Access

This is a kind of bulleted list of what exactly the service offers but that’s nothing more than just words. So why is this service so compelling? First, if you like to play games, this service gives you access to so many games you might not have played, whether it be from discounts on PSN games or entirely free games. I own so many new titles now for my PS3 and at least 15 titles for my PSP, including Mini Games and the PSone Classics. These are games I honestly would not have normally paid for, not because they are not worth the value, but because I have so many other titles I want to play. But now, I’m getting all of these games to own. If betas are your thing, since the release, I’ve  been in the Killzone 3, MAG, and Assassins Creed: Brotherhood betas to name a few. I’ve truly never had access to so many games before and my Trophies collection is loving it too! So again, if you game and you want your gaming experience to be fresh and diverse, Playstation Plus is for you.

Myth: Games Sell More on Xbox Than on PS3 (Updated with latest results)

It shouldn’t be news to anybody that the Xbox 360 is ahead of the Playstation 3 when it comes to units sold. Not only did the Xbox launch a full year ahead of the PS3, but Sony had a rocky 2-3 years before they got their game plan together. Another advantage that the Xbox 360 has enjoyed is its lower price point, now offering a very stripped down version for $150 vs. the $299 PS3. This puts the Xbox 360 at 44.2 million units sold worldwide with the PS3 coming in at 40.3 million. Now there is some discrepancy with the Xbox 360 sales where it’s been widely reported that the systems have suffered upwards of 30% failure rate. This has even caused game retailer giant Gamestop to stop offering warranties on them. But the flip side is that there are PS3 owners who have simply purchased the console for its Blu-ray player, streaming and other media features for their home theater and are not using the unit for gaming purpose. So with the two different situations effecting the number of active consoles that are dedicated to gaming, let’s assume that the number difference between the two consoles is correct. Does this then mean that the 360 really sells more games than the PS3? The answer may be a bit surprising.

The Xbox 360 is shooter heaven where its users flock on the first day to games like Halo, Call of Duty and Gears of War. Sure, the PS3 has Call of Duty and its own exclusives series like Killzone, Socom and Resistance, but when it comes to sales, a game like Gears of War 2 does 1.9 million on first week worldwide where other AAA and highly rated PS3 game like Uncharted 2 do only 800,000. Sure Uncharted 2 now has 3.8 million sales, but Gears of War 2 is sitting on a cool 5.9 million. So we can all agree that 360 users buy their FPS (first person shooter) games in droves, but how do other games that are not FPS and released on both consoles average in sales? The results seem to be much different.

• Beyonata PS3 (0.74 million)
• Beyonata 360 (0.67 million)
• James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game PS3 (0.58 million)
• James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game 360 (0.56 million)
• Lost Planet 2  PS3 (0.52 million)
• Lost Planet 2  360 (0.44 million)
• Mafia II PS3 (0.46 million)
• Mafia II 360 (0.46 million)
• Resident Evil 5 PS3 (3.39 million)
• Resident Evil 5 360 (2.82 million)
• FIFA Soccer 10 PS3 (3.54 million)
• FIFA Soccer 10 PS2 (1.27 million)
• FIFA Soccer 10 PSP (0.76 million)
• FIFA Soccer 10 360 (2.68 million)
• Just Cause 2 PS3 (0.78 million)
• Just Cause 2 360 (0.70 million)

The above numbers are games that the PS3 has outsold its 360 version, and that does not mean that there are not other dual-release games with which the 360 has outsold the PS3. But, we can take away from this that even with its lower install base, Playstation owners seem to play a wider variety of games and publishers indeed are able to sell more titles to them while 360 owners only show up in masses  for FPS games. Another advantage that Sony offers to publishers is their multi console offering where sport games are not released just on the PS3, but the PS2 and PSP as well (above example is FIFA ’10). This means that despite the stigma out there, Sony’s Playstation platform continues to offer the most compelling platform for publishers to release games on.

[Via VGChartz]

Editorial: How Sony’s PlayStation Can Win Back the Consumer

During the late 90’s and the early 2000’s, the word gaming was synonymous with PlayStation. We were the PlayStation generation. As Xander Cage said in the action movie XXX “You have a bazooka. Why don’t you blow some shit up? Stop thinking Prague police and start thinking PlayStation“. If there was a commercial or Hollywood movie, if there was a gaming device in the background, it was a PlayStation 2. When the duo sat down for  a scene to play games, they had PS2 controllers in their hands and when there was a skit from the Daily Show or SNL, the game cover would belong to a PS2 game.

What’s changed since then is the one-year head start Microsoft had with the Xbox 360. Mix that with the rocky and high price point the PlayStation 3 had in its initial three years and you can see how Sony fell behind in the lime light. Plus, there is this misperception that the Xbox is really far ahead of the PS3. It’s because of this that the PlayStation 3 exists in a now alternate twilight zone universe of the late 90’s and early 2000’s where it has been replaced by the Xbox 360. When Turk and J.D sit down in Scrubs to game, they’re “fraggin noobs on the 360“. When the Daily Show with John Stewart runs a skit on the absurdity of banning video games, the game they are holding is a 360 game. And of course when Target or Walmart are running an ad, showing a family in the living room, on both print and commercials, they are playing the Xbox 360. This gradual bombardment has slowly taken the 360 to a pop culture status where now gaming is synonymous with the Xbox. Sure Microsoft itself pays heavily for its products to be advertised, but part of it is still the cultural status of the 360. When the PA gets assigned to go pick up a prop, they reach for a 360 game, and when the advertising company is finishing the set, the Xbox is what they place. So this has not only shifted the image for the younger audience that gaming and the 360 are the same, but for the parents as well. That means your mom is much aware of the Xbox; guess what she might reach for during the next birthday or Christmas?

Editorial: Sony Dash, the Best Sony Commercial Ever?

One of the biggest problems I’ve always had with Sony is the lack of advertising on their end and the cohesiveness of when they actually do advertise. As a believer, preacher, and defender of their products, it’s far too frustrating to see them release fantastic devices into the market like the Sony Dash and have it fade away as just another new device after 3 blogs have covered it. Sure, the geek crowd who reads sites like ours and Engadget and browses forums on a regular basis might know about it, but the much bigger portion of the public, the ones who want to see a new device shown to them on TV and likes the familiarity of what they see on store shelves when they step into a retailer like Best Buy is completely missed. Then, when Sony actually does advertise, they are too busy using celebrities from their portfolio like Justin Timberlake and Payton Manning and not focused enough on what the ad is actually trying to tell people, let alone sell them, which is the point of advertisement.

A few days ago, all of this changed for me. Not only has Sony released a new TV spot for their Sony Dash, but during the 30 seconds, not only do they manage to show the device and its many functionalities, but also give you a heads up on its new price as well, all without the help of a single celebrity. Don’t believe me? Watch the following:

Gamer Log: Time Crisis: Razing Storm and Enslaved Arrive!

Woo hoo, over the past week, I’ve ordered two new PlayStation 3 games that I’m eager to play: Time Crisis: Razing Storm and Enslaved. As you might be aware, I’ve been slowly building my PlayStation Move fleet by purchasing two Shooting Gun Attachments, as well as the PlayStation Eye Camera Mounting kit and Charging Station. Now, I actually have a game for the PlayStation Move itself as well, though to be honest, I still don’t own a PlayStation Move. Though this might sound crazy, there is a reason behind this. I’ve been having a pile up issue with games, as in I own plenty of games that I have yet to beat. Recently, I put a stop to all of this by setting a goal of finishing some old games. I’m one Trophy away from completing everything in Battlefield: 1943 and I’m currently at the end boss in Final Fantasy 13, this means that after these games, I’ll be clear for some more games. By having all my items ready for the Move, I can actually go out and by one in the next few weeks or might even get them for Christmas and have the full ready “Move” experience. But alas, Time Crisis will be more of  a fun game, beaten or not. It’s something that I can pick up with my girlfriend and just have some fun with, or have the family give it a try. Enslaved on the other hand is where it’s really at for me in terms of real gaming. I loved Ninja Theories Heavenly Sword with its rich world and characters and I’m the type of gamer who plays for story and that’s exactly what Enslaved is meant to be. Gorgeous graphics, set with rich characters and a story that is to be played out in front of me in an epic fashion are the types of games I’m a sucker for. Plus, Ninja Theory is well known for truly utilizing MoCap to bring their games to life. Though, I’m still not sure if I want to just go and beat Final Fantasy 13 and move along to Enslaved, or actually go do some more side quests and extra bosses as well. Thoughts?

Editorial: How To Not Sell PlayStation Moves with Creepy/Random Advertising

As I write this post, I’m trying to not come off pissed but I can’t help it. We have pointed out on this site over and over again that Sony makes some fantastic products, but has the worst marketing department on the entire planet. This holiday season is a crucial one for Sony. The PlayStation 3 has been enjoying great momentum and is only 3-4 million units away from the Xbox 360. This is a big deal for Sony as the PS3 has always lagged 7-9 million units behind the Xbox 360. With this new steam behind PlayStation 3, Sony has also released the PlayStation Move to offer users both something new and to counter Nintendo. Having a great product is one thing, but having people find out about it something entirely different, and Microsoft knows this. Most of their products are mediocre at best. Look at Windows Vista. Look at the Xbox 360 with claims of 40% failure rate. And yet, that doesn’t matter because Microsoft knows how to advertise. Simply put, Kinect won’t work for most people, but that’s not going to stop Microsoft, nor the $500 million they have set aside to advertise it. Sony has already claimed that it has no plans to match Microsoft when it comes to spending and that’s ok too. I understand it, Sony simply does not have that kind of cash, but that does not mean that they should spend the cash they do have on weird as hell advertising.

Microsoft makes it clear during the 30 second ads that people are having fun playing with the Xbox 360 with a new interface that requires no controller. There it is, a simple pitch, but from the beginning to the end, it’s clear that this is a Xbox commercial for their new product. What does Sony do in their Latin America ad? Have some weird commercial with adult babies (wow, that wasn’t two years ago) who are going about their day, doing “adult” stuff and at the end, you see a PlayStation 3 with a Move controller logo.

What the fuck? First, you show me irrelevant shit, unless we look at the deep underlying message that adults can feel like kids again when they play with the PlayStation Move, but I’m sorry, thats a little too deep for a freaking commercial. Then, when the commercial is done, I’m still not sure what I as the viewer am suppose to do. What is the PlayStation 3? What is the PlayStation Move? What does it do? Why do I need it, or why is it fun? None of these are addressed or offered in the commercial, which is idiotic. Hell, they could have showed old cats watching kittens play and then blasted the PlayStation Move logo at the end and A. It would have been a lot cheaper to make and B. at least it would have had the “aaww” factor and the same underlying message could have been gathered from it. Sony, no matter how good of a product you make, if you continue to have these off-the-wall advertisements for otherwise great products, nobody will buy your shit. Honestly, just look at Apple, Microsoft and Nikon. All simple commercials who use their product in the entire 30 second mark and tell the users why it’s different. Sony continues with the strategy of “random artistic stuff” and then BAM, Sony logo.

 

This guy should not be the one making your advertisement.

As one PlayStation Forum member said:

Whaaaaaat?? I don’t understand the message behind the videos.

First: What does babies displaying emotions have to do with Latin Americans?

Second: Does this means that USA sees Latin Americans as babies?

Third: The videos are completely Americanized (Latinos aren’t known to have blonde hair with blue eyes and our cities are different from those seen in the videos)

Please Sony, if you are going to sympathize with the Latin people you need to create videos that show the Latin American gaming culture.

I want a Kevin Butler Spanglish campaign!!

New Video Series: Sony 101

One thing I’ve always championed for is an educational campaign from Sony on their products. Take their NEX series, do people really know all the things it can do? Probably not, and an educated user is a happy user. A happy user is much more likely to spread the word to their friend about a product and pull them towards that brand and thus create a Halo effect. During my three years at Apple, this was actually the strategy that was implemented for the retail stores, to empower the user and teach them about the products. Even if somebody didn’t buy a product, if they learned something new about the Mac or iPhone or whatever else that day, it was actually a win for Apple.

This brings me to my PS3. I do so much with it. I stream music and videos from my Mac, PC, and home server. I store tons of videos and put them and my games in specific folders and have icons set to all of them. There are Dynamic Themes; you can take one theme and keep the sounds and icons but change the background. Did you know you can hookup any Bluetooth keyboard or headset and/or have a chat room while you’re in one game, your friend is on Netflix, and another friend is another game? Then there is the idea of plugging in a hub, hooking up external hard drives and getting your media off of that.

It’s this thinking that brought me to the idea of Sony 101. This video segment will be centered around different Sony products, but unlike a video review, it’s meant to be short (or as short as I can keep them, and if you’ve seen my previous videos, you  know I have a problem with that) and centered around a specific feature and functionality. So the review won’t be as long, but it will be much richer in content and depth. This will also make it easier for those of you who are interested in just a portion of the functionality or have a specific feature you want to know about.

Our starting videos will be based on the PS3 as well the PSP, designed to educate fellow users on the capabilities of the given system. In the end, I wish Sony would do pieces like this and have them pre-loaded on the given platform rather than just on their blog. Chances are that if those users are coming to the PlayStation blog, then they probably already know a fair share about the system so the wrong audience is being targeted by that. Therefore, check back on this site for a kick off of this series. If there is a specific thing you want covered, feel free to let us know in the comments section, our Twitter, or Facebook.

Editorial: Microsoft Wants to Buy off Kinect Success

A few weeks ago, we ran story on how the troubled the Xbox Kinect is and now, other sites are reporting on the troubles behind the scenes of Redmond. Now we have news that Sony had sold 1.5 million Move units in Europe and another 1 million in the States, putting it in a strong position for the upcoming holiday season. On the other hand, Microsoft seems to have a half-functional device on their hands that needs to have the most optimal settings to give you even minimal playability. How do the folks at Redmond respond to this?

With a $500 million advertising campaign, centered around the Kinect. Yes, Microsoft wants to spend $500 million this year to promote the Kinect. Partners like “Burger King, Pepsi, YouTube, Nickelodeon, Disney, Glee, Dancing with the Stars, People and InStyle magazines, and even Times Square” will all having a role to play in spreading the word. The last time Microsoft spent $500 million was to fight off the impressions and hide how troubled Windows Vista was. Now, with another broken product, Microsoft does what it’s best at: spending a ton of cash to convince people. Apple really said it best.

To be fair, at the same time, if Sony had the money, I’m sure they would spend it as well. Too many times this generation, because of lack of funding and advertising vision, Sony releases another fantastic product, like the Playstation Move, and not enough awareness is around it. Compared to prior years, Sony has indeed done considerably better and Sony themselves has said that the Playstation Move will be more of a word of mouth product. But, with companies like Apple and Microsoft having the budget to actually educate and promote their product, it’s sad to see Sony not be able to compete, even though they have a fantastic product on their hands.

God of War: Game Director Meet Up in Los Angeles, God of War 4 in the Horizon? God of War Movie News

First, an apology for it taking forever to post this. I had a lovely little photo corruption issue and so it took sometime to retrieve these photos and unwreck my 17,000+ iPhoto library.

On September 1st, Sony decided to throw together a small panel and bring the 5 directors of the God of War series together for the first time. The meet included David Jaffe, Cory Barlog, Stig Asmussen, Ru Weerasuiya, and Dana Jan for a roundtable-like discussion as well as audience questions and prizes.

After a long two-hour wait in line and some interviews with Playstation’s own Audrey Cleo, we finally got to go into the decked out theater and sit down for the upcoming panel. One look at the set and you could tell that for their own upcoming God of War documentary, Sony was not holding back, using top camera equipment as well as sparing no expense on a beautifully constructed set.

During the three hour event, one of the interesting myths that was busted is the story that Sony actually wanted a different director for each title. The pitch has always been that Sony wanted this, to give each story its own unique feel and taste. As David Jaffe went on to say “this made for a fantastic PR spin, but the truth was that it just never worked out”. Going on to say that each time a project was ready, each game director was busy with their own creation and projects so they couldn’t be brought onto the project. A great example of this is director Ru Weerasuriya who helmed God of War: Ghost of Sparta for the PSP. Sony and Ru were working closely together on this project but unlike God of War 1-3 which were made in house at Sony Santa Monica, Ghost of Sparta was actually made at Ready at Dawn Studios. After Ghost of Sparta was completed, Ru Weerasuriya went on to head the company, and because of that, he could not direct the upcoming GoW: Ghost of Sparta, thus Dana Jan took over the project.

Another talked-about subject was the reasoning for God of War 2 to be placed on the Playstation 2, versus a debut title for the Playstation 3. Cory Barlog, director of GoW 2, went on to explain that the reasoning was one that was debated for a while. Sony really wanted to have the game a launch title for the PS3 but there were a few obstacles. By the time God of War 2 came in, it was near the end of life for the Playstation 2. This made it hard to release a game for an upcoming system when the PS2 already had such a huge install base. From a business standpoint, all fans had to do was to purchase the game, not dedicate a new system just to experience the game. The other was a true technical standpoint. By then, everybody (developers) knew the innards of the PS2. They knew all the tricks and how to push the system to do what they wanted while the PS3 would have been a new language that they would have had to learn.

Another conversation that David Jaffe struck up and was quite passionate about was God of War at 7-11. This had to do with an audience question on how he felt about the face of Kratos, showing up at 7-11, during the God of War 3 launch. Jaffe felt about this subject as I did; from a creator’s standpoint, he loved the idea of seeing something he had created be seen everywhere and to have a 10 year old kid show up to a 7-11 and get excited because he saw his favorite game character there was something truly exciting. As Jaffe put it “when I was a kid, we would go to 7-11 and get excited when there was a new Boba Fett cup and I would collect them,” so why can’t a mega hit franchise like God of War get the same treatment? This I think is an inevitable path for video games and a sign of the maturing market place for them. To me, I view video games the same as movies, just one that I can control. The movie studios have figured out that a movie is a property and not just a single theatrical release. The video game industry needs to be in the same mindset if it wants to survive. As production costs rise on games, game studios need to look to else place to offer bring in income and merchandising is one of them. From a business perspective, this makes perfect sense and if handled properly, this is something that fans should embrace as well. Why not have access to their character beyond the video game. God dammit, if I wanted to have a Kratos stuffed toy and there is a demand for it, why not have it offered to me. I as a fan get what I want and the game studio is able to expand and continue to offer all things God of War.

You know what to do if you want to read more about God of War and news on God of War 4 and a God of War movie.

Editorial: Sony Internet TV Ad Does Everything Wrong

For anybody who is a regular on this site, you will know that we have problems with Sony and their advertising agency. They seem to have things down finally on the Playstation side but when it comes to their other divisions, between the lack of advertisement and confusing advertisement, Sony stands to lose a lot. Before, you read any further though, I recommend you watch the following ad.

Ok, now that you’ve done that, lets discuss some things. On this site, we reported about the Sony Internet TV and the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray player. I would like to think that this  means that I know a few things about that product. But after watching that ad, I’m not interested in the product, nor do I have any idea what that product does and that’s not good. All I know is that it brings Internet and TV together. But then the average person will say, I have a laptop/iPhone/iPad etc. and will move right a long and never care about this new product launch. Sure the concept is cool, people gathering around a giant screen (is the Internet TV coming to movie theaters?) but the ad does nothing to explain to people what it does.

Instead, the entire ads hopes that people will be hooked on the idea that a bunch of people in the middle of NYC are interested on this giant TV and remote and therefor, they will want to know more about it or better yet, are ready to purchase this mythical device. As always, the problem with Sony ads is that they take style over substance. It’s too busy being an artistic and meaningful ad, instead of telling me what it does and why I need. We only need to look at Apple ads. They are simple, show off the product and make it compelling to own one. Too easy? Lets look at Nikon ads where Ashton Kutcher tells us why he loves his Nikon (because it has good zoom and he can draw on the screen etc.) and boom, your like “ok, I get what this product does”. Sony completely missed that boat and this isn’t their first ad to do it. Again, another example is Samsung ads. “Buy our TV, it looks like you are there! The 3D is amazing, it’s thin!”. Simple and to the point. Again, Sony brings me in a lab with Payton Manning and Justin Timberlake (and I’m a big fan of both of them) where they are creating stuff and you should trust Sony because they make other 3D stuff. Ummm, ok?

Here is what the internet TV ad should have been. A camera pointed at the screen, watching TV, It’s showing Community, you bring up the IMDB page and search for it, you find the actor you wanted, you switch to Twitter and post about watching it, you see a post from your friend who is watching the NFL game. You do a quick search, it tells you the channel the game is on you click on it and it takes you to that game. The whole idea is to give you a quick experience and everyday use out of why you need the product. Simple, to the point and the consumer gets what the product is.

I truly believe that Sony makes some of the best products out there yet nobody is ever aware of these products because of Sonys lack of advertisement and when they do, it’s too confusing with what it’s trying to tell you.

Nathan Fillion for Nathan Drake Website is Live! Lets Talk

Hello fans,

Lets take a minute and talk. As you may have recently heard, Sony Pictures is dead serious about making a film, based on the Uncharted series. Although details remain far and between and how could they not sense the project is in its early stage, by Sony hiring director David O. Russel, it means that they are moving forward with making this film. The first thing fans should do is take a big sigh of relief that a respected director like Russel is going to helm this. His previous films include (Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees, The Fighter). THe producer for this film will be Avi Arad (Spider-man Trilogy, X-men Trilogy, Iron Man 1 & 2). This means that Sony is serious about making a quality film but what of the actor.

For those of us who are fans of the Uncharted series, the first thing everybody speaks of is the quality. Both in visuals and in story telling, Uncharted has surpassed most video games and Hollywood movies to tell a compelling tale about a character that you can relate to and root for during his adventures. But that’s only part of the magic. The other is Nathan Drake. The character is so compelling, so charming and full of humor that audiences fell in love with. Imagine having a Indiana Jones movie but with no compelling Indy. In order for Uncharted the movie to work, we also need a compelling actor who can nail the humor, wit and charm of Nathan Drake and if he looks like him, well that’s a bonus.

Enter, Nathan Fillion. It seems as if it’s almost destiny. He shares a first name, he looks like the video game character and has the charm and wit down to dot. Don’t believe me, ask a fan of Firefly. Better yet, if you have never seen Firefly, go ahead and buy it on Blu-ray and experience one of the best damn shows ever. But in this experience, you will see that Nathan Fillion is the perfect Nathan Drake.

But as all things in life, it’s not that easy. Nathan Fillion is a fan favorite, but not a huge star who can demand things. This is where we, the fans can speak out. We have seen it in the past where Hollywood listens to its fans and gives them what they want, this should be no different, but we have one extra weapon. Nathan Fillion himself is one of the most down to earth actors out there and better yet, he wants to play the roll. So how do we speak out and support the actor? A few simple ways.

1. Please sign the petition.

2. Let Nathan know on Twitter.

3. Let Sony Pictures know on Twitter.

4. Let Naughty Dog know on Twitter.

5. And when you post on Twitter about this, please us the following hash tag, #NATHANFILLIONFORNATHANDRAKE

I’ve again started this website because I love Uncharted the series and respect Nathan Fillion greatly as an actor and person and believe he can bring the best out of this character. If you have any ideas, please bring them to my attention as this is not my site, but we the fans site. I believe that together, we can achieve this goal and united, we can make more noise then random sites doing their own random things.

Visit the website for all details; www.Nathanfillionfornathandrake.com